Old Game of Cricket Inspires New Form of English Tea

By Christine B. MacDonald

Sunday

Jun 16, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 16, 2013 at 4:07 PM

It was Trinity Sunday and the parable was perfect, or so he thought. Referring to the amusing and well-known anecdote Definition of Cricket as Explained to an American, Rev. Alan Neale realized that there was confusion among the parishioners. “It was a 10 liner thing, just read from the beginning, but it was too much,” he shares. In an effort to clarify, he quickly translated that the only way you really learn cricket is to play cricket and the only way you understand the Trinity is to experience the Trinity. “Those who could have understood, like most cricketers, they weren’t in church,” he laughs.

The sermon’s lesson apparently sunk in, however, because now, more than 20 years later, the St. Columba Cricket Team plays on a field near the Middletown church. “The next thing you know, they sent away for equipment and parishioners began to play afternoon pickup matches followed by English tea,” says Chuck Zalewski, who joined the club in 2002. While the game goes on for six hours, English tea is just as important, making a typical cricket game a full afternoon social affair. A lesson in good sportsmanship, players from both teams join together for the meal and conversation. There is also an annual dinner where awards are presented, players are roasted and speeches are made. Though the game has remained true to its origins, the tea has evolved through the ethnicity of the team.

Comprised almost exclusively of ex-pats who learned the game in their home country, the players’ dishes reflect the fare of their home countries. “In this area, teams are somewhat ethnically organized through word of mouth within the Indian and West Indian communities,” Zalewski explains. Lewis Arnow agrees. It is his land in Middletown the game is played upon and he can often be found seated on the sidelines cheering for players. “We are table talk in Gujarat, India, a province where many of our players hail from,” he explains.

Originally, players were from England, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Today that roster has grown to include Antiguan, Trinidadian and Indian players, as well as a couple of Americans. Zalewski adds that college teams also play cricket — Columbia, URI and Boston University, for example, all have teams. “Every college out there is loaded with Indian students. They tend to form teams,” he says. These players want to continue to play after they finish school and begin their careers. The St. Columba team fills that void.

As the afternoon winds down, players not on the field are busy setting up for the meal. Farrukh Shah makes his food fresh each week, working from the back of his van while the wood-filled grill heats up. Today he has a chicken dish called murghi (bird) pathan and a beef dish cooked on skewers. He also prepares a yogurt dipping sauce for both meats. It is common for the men to prepare the meal, with an occasional accompanying dish offered by a wife or mother.

Other players gather to share what they have brought and how it is made. Vimal Patel has a spicy lassi, a drink that is similar to spicy buttermilk, and a chick pea curry. “This is the recipe my mother has always used, that I now swear by,” he says as he describes the curry. “I’ve used canned chickpeas. Who doesn’t like a shortcut?” he smiles.

Hilarius Stephen and his wife Leonnette have prepared chicken wings using a method that comes from the West Indies, deep in the Caribbean Sea. “The recipe was originally created by pirates during the 17th and 18th centuries,” he explains. “It was developed as a manner of preserving meat using natural spices.”

Sai Chinnaswamy explains that his chicken biryani and vegetable biryani are perhaps among the Far East’s oldest dishes. “They date back to the 1500s. Originally a Persian dish, moghuls eventually brought it to Hyderabad in South India,” he shares. The region is mostly made up of Hindus and Muslims, both of which still enjoy the dish today.

Finally, a delicious rice pudding, served warm, is presented for dessert. Its delicately sweet and slightly dense texture provides a nice contrast to the spicier dishes. The pudding was prepared by Chandu Dondeti’s mother, who was seated on the edge of the field, intently watching the game. He warns that the dish must be monitored carefully because unwatched, the milk will burn. “When you fry the raisins in butter, they turn like big tapioca balls, but they soften out once they cool down,” he says. For the nuts, he prefers cashews that must be fried in butter until they turn brown. “Add them and you will have a yummy dish!”

Today, St. Columba’s players carry on the tradition of cricket while incorporating each of their heritages. Perhaps Neale’s sermon wasn’t so confusing after all.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.